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Thomas Fusillo, DO, MS

Majoring in Osteopathic Medicine
Des Moines University, Class of 2023
From New York City, NY
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Internal Medicine Resident Physician at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
July 2023 - Present
Bilateral Avascular Necrosis of the Femoral Heads Secondary to Familial Hyperlipidemia
Avascular necrosis (AVN) is a progressive disease characterized by bone death secondary to an interruption of the relevant vascular supply. While it is most common in pediatrics and later adulthood, it can occur at any age. This case describes a previously healthy man in his mid-twenties who presented with worsening hip pain. Imaging, including X-ray and magnetic resonance, revealed severe marrow edema and early collapse of the femoral head. The patient was also found to have a severely elevated low-density lipoprotein level, leading to the diagnosis of AVN due to familial hyperlipidemia. He received a total hip arthroplasty and was started on high-intensity statin therapy. This case highlights the importance of considering AVN in the young adult population with hip pain as well as the appropriate workup and treatment.
September 2023 - Publications
Von Willebrand Disease and its Subtypes
Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is often thought of as a singular straight-forward pathology. However, VWD is a nuanced and complex disease consisting of six unique subtypes. The pathological basis for diagnosis revolves around both qualitative and quantitative testing of Von Willebrand factor (VWF). This is done via the ristocetin cofactor analysis, VWF antigen level, and VWF multimer level. The ratio of these values can then be used to further deduce the exact subtype of Von Willebrand disease. Alternative but more costly diagnostic tools include gene sequencing, thromboelastography, and platelet aggregometry. Proper diagnosis and differentiation of the various VWD subtypes is crucial if one is to achieve effective treatment. This is especially the case for type 1 versus 2B, where desmopressin is the treatment of choice for type 1 but can potentially worsen the disease course of type 2B due to its unique pathophysiology. Therefore, an intimate understanding of both pathophysiology and laboratory medicine is needed to make a diagnosis and create a treatment plan. While the management of VWD is generally reserved for a specialist, the primary care physician and hospitalist should be capable of ordering and even interpreting the appropriate tests in order to expedite the patient’s care.
December 2022 - Presentations
Bacterial Meningitis: Secondary to a Sinus Tract to the Meninges Presenting as a Cerebral Spinal Fluid Leak
October 2022 - Presentations
Mental Illness and Addiction: Lessons from the County Hospital Inpatient Psychiatric Ward
There is often a stark difference in how people interpret their first exposures to physical illness versus mental illness and addiction medicine. Many times, there is a tendency to sympathize with physical illness but separate ourselves from mental illness and addiction. I have slowly learned to see myself in each of my patients, regardless of diagnosis. In this experience, I describe what it is like to interact with and care for psychiatric patients and how my thoughts on their care changed during my inpatient psychiatric rotation.
June 2022 - Publications
The Ethical and Legal Cases for Compulsory Vaccination
December 2020 - Presentations
Genetic Variants on the Calcineurin Homologous Protein Genes Associated with an Increase in Blood Pressure
October 2020 - Presentations
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